The Lord's loving discipline - Audio

Church elders are shepherds who need to follow the perfect model – Jesus. One of the heavy parts that goes with this is church discipline, which is more than just excommunication. It includes all the steps taken to get someone to repent and be reconciled to the Lord and to their brothers and sisters. It’s important that those disciplined not only say “sorry” but that they turn and go the other direction. It’s the difference of just having Jesus as Savior vs. having Him as both Savior and Lord. It’s a “cheap” gospel vs. a gospel with both belief and action. None of us are above discipline and we are chastened because we are loved. Left to our own devices we will do what we want, and we need to be protected from this. Discipline is unpleasant but, in the end, produces a holy people different from the world.